icunrse

My Personal Vacation Planner is a nice guy. He calls every few months and sees if we are interested in booking. If I have a question, I email him and he emails me back right away.

 

We decided to book a cruise with 3 different families. I did inquire with him about some questions I had. Since there were multiple credit cards...new cruiser names that needed to be added, I found it to be easier to just do it on the website.

 

Will he not get credit for the booking? I want to upgrade one on the cabins, but I am embarrassed to call him since I booked online.

 

What are your thoughts?

Every few months?!?! My personal vacation planner calls nearly every single day. I made the mistake of entering my email and telephone number on Carnival.com and have been bombarded. No calls this week, so far though:eek:

So, are they confiscating people's bottle of mouthwash as well? I have heard tell that many hide their booze in recycled mouthwash containers and add food coloring. They should probably put a limit on scope to be travel size bottles only. :rolleyes: Not like anyone needs that much scope on a one week's journey anyway. ---------->troublemaker :eek:

I actually saw a video on that. What people will do for the hootch! We are buying through Carnival (crazy prices, but cheaper than buying per drink) and having beer on the pool deck.

Thank you all for the info. We had read boards about the prizes being great (old posts, maybe) and were interested in playing in March. I'll save my $$ instead.

I'm following too. We sail in March for our 2nd cruise and my first Carnival. I had hesitated cruising Carnival for it's old "party boat" reputation. I am certainly NO expert when it comes to cruising, I just wanna float, drink some beer and see gorgeous islands. :)

I want to be at the same table as Darth Valdor :)

Me too. Sounds very "Lord of the Rings" ish.

To the original poster: We don't mean to be rude making fun of your typos, we love it. I need some laughter during my mundane work day. :D

LOVE this topic! I'm like you, KatieBug.

Splurge:

balcony (made the mistake of getting one on my very first cruise)

excursions (one in every port, and usually my boys scuba dive, so I do snorkeling/beach; then we do one port together as a family)

drinks of the adult kind (I am considering this a splurge because of the cost. We aren't HUGE drinkers, but if I want a few beers at the pool, and maybe a fruity drink...I'm getting it)

Scrimp:

food (no specialty coffee or steaks for us. We are quite happy with any ole food in our gullets)

shopping (we don't go to islands for the shopping, but we do support local economy buying some trinkets when we can. Also, we don't buy things from the ship's store) My favorite thing was a license plate from Aruba that sits in my son's room.

I'm sure I'm forgetting something.

Hello, I am new here. Nice to meet you all. I have decided to book our 1st cruise. It will be May 30, 2016. My daughter and I will port out of Jacksonville, Fl. Excited about it, but lots of questions. Info on that port says can begin parking at 10:30 am. I plan to be there then. How long would it take to get on ship? I know cannot get on it til noon, at the earliest, but how long, after process starts? Also looking into excursions, etc... any pointers would be greatly appreciated.:)

Georgia,

I went on my first cruise back in 2007. I was frantic (what to pack, the process of getting on, what to expect...) I found cruisecritic and read hundreds of messages on the boards before our cruise. I still packed too much, and I was anxious, but once on board (after our bags were delivered)...I was at peace. We went to 5 islands and at 3 of them, I ventured off on my own with ship sponsored excursions while my boys were scuba diving. It was so much fun that I have been craving another cruise since. I am still reading up on the cruise line/ship/excursions to keep me informed. I found it helpful to read reviews of the ship. I knew where the dining room/bars/pizza place was before I stepped on ship. Once on board, it's fun to tour the ship while waiting for the ship to pull out of port. We booked excursions through the ship (I was too nervous about taking my chances on my own). I just booked another cruise with my family as well as my BFF and her sister who have never cruised.

Have fun!!!!:)

I'm stalking this one too, as we are on the Valor on 3/5/16 to same ports. I have been ziplining several times here in NC, and it really is a blast. I am cruising with a group and one person would like to try ziplining.

Hey guys! I hope this posts in the right place as I'm a new member here. Anyway I'm going on a cruise with the Carnival Valor this Saturday!! We are going to Cozumel, Belize, Mahogany Bay & Costa Maya. I've been thinking about excursions and have narrowed it down. I know these places possibly offer the same type of excursions but I want to know what location is the best for the excursion because I'm only going to do it once.

Where is the best place to ATV? I'm guessing Belize because I saw they offered ATV, cave tubing & zip-line. Also of these 4 locations where is the best, cheapest and easiest place for jet skis? Thanks to everyone in advance for your feedback!

I went on a Carnival cruise last year on the Liberty and it was awesome! :D

I can't help you, as I'm heading to those same places in March. Have fun and let us know what you think of those stops.

Have a great time! Send a review...we are sailing in March on her.

Following for Valor dry dock info

 

 

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Me too. We were booked on the Splendor for March 5-March 11, 2016 but later were told Splendor was going into dry dock that week. We got $50 OBC for each of us who were booked. We are now sailing on Valor those same dates. I am curious if Valor will get her upgrade before or after I cruise (my luck...after I cruise :rolleyes:).

I hated sea days, but I've only been on 1 cruise. I prefer heavy port cruises, to spend the day (or a few hours) in different islands. On our one sea day, I had to fight for pool loungers, and we finally got 3 up on the top deck a few levels away from the pool. I hate pool lounger hogs and one guy who had a chair in both the shade and the sun--I know this because he had a book next to my lounger for hours--I ended up getting pretty angry :mad:. If people are honest and sit out there, then it would be one thing. I do look forward to karaoke and bingo, and maybe a tour on ship this time around. We just didn't know what to expect/do on our first one. I love checking out the ship as soon as we get on board with a cold beer in hand.

Happy Belated Birthday!!! You are so adorable. I LOVE your video/movie!!!! Eagerly awaiting the review...

Jason, I am not sure. I haven't been to the ziplining in Belize, but I have in NC. I think here they use helmet ones, as the chest has the ziplining harness (actually connects you to the line at the chest).

Congrats! But lol, I couldn't imagine needing my husband's permission to book a cruise. My husband leaves all of the vacation planning to me because he never has a preference as to where we go. Works for me! [emoji4]

I am the official "cruise director" of any and all cruises we take. I just tell my DH what ship, where and when. On our first cruise, I planned it out keeping everyone's fun in mind. Now, I am booked on the Valor in March, and my BFF at work says she's going along with me and will be going on all our excursions too :)

I have them loaded and are emailing them out today. I loved the Valor, she needs a little TLC, but the staff were wonderful, Gary the CD was great, and the entertainment staff did the best they could, some of the talent is hmmm ok, but not great. However we don't tend to hang out and listen to them anyway. We prefer being where we can talk to people from all over. If you get a chance and eat in the Washington Dining room find Julio! He was wonderful, he said this contract runs out in the end of July. He has been there for 15 years and loves it.

Can I have it too? I think if you posted them on here, you'd get less email requests :)

icunrse@Hotmail.com

Thank you!

Glad to hear Valor isn't a washed up ole gal. I had to change our planned cruise on Splendor March 2016, but she's going into dry dock. I would love to be on a ship with the 2.0 upgrades, but this is a trip planned through work, so it's what it is. :)

I was booked on the Splendor for March 6, 2016 Western Caribbean and was recently told by Carnival that it is going into dry dock for upgrades and we have to change our booking to another ship. My options are Valor to Western Caribbean, 7 day or on the Breeze for a 6 day. I am thinking Valor even though it doesn't seem to have upgrades either.

On a 3 day cruise I went on, a bunch of college kids acted like the cruise was one big Halloween party (it was summer btw). The would wear matching theme bikinis each day with sombreros, stick on mustaches, shot glass belts and dance with cardboard cut outs of guys that they brought along. The guys in their group didn't dress up, but were loud and crazy. At dinner in the MDR, including elegant night, the girls would come in naughty Halloween type costumes, like a sexy maid, sexy nurse, sexy sailor, etc. We didn't mind that much, but I'm sure some parents of small kids did. The college kids looked ridiculous, but I'm sure that was the point.

Oh no!!! I like the way sombrero/mustache combo sounds, because I'm a little crazy...in a fun not psycho way :) but Halloween costumes all racy in the dining room is too much.

I get along with almost everyone, so I know I'll have a blast. I need to not worry about it. I know my Yankee mouth will get me into trouble if I see sexy costumes at dinner :mad:

A bit off topic: the Grunwald quote in your signature about the beach is sublime. I swear I heard ocean surf in my head when I was reading it! :cool:

Aww. Thank you! One of my favorite things to do at the beach is looking for "treasures" to include sea glass and shells. On our first cruise, I found a little ocean side spot in Aruba behind a dumpster where the mother load of sea glass resided. I was frantically picking it up, and my husband was freaking out yelling that I'd get Hepatitis! :eek: it is now sitting in a little glass jar on my fireplace mantel.

You'll have a great time. We did our 3rd cruise on her a few months back and liked it even better than the first 2. We like the MDR food (and also chefs table, steakhouse and Dr. Seuss), and never had an issue with dirty dishes or disgusting passengers.

I know it's what I make of it, and frankly I can have fun in a tin can (redheads are like that), so I know it will be a great vacation. It's just disappointing to hear bad things after you've spent a pretty penny. Plus, I'm a bit of a germaphobe being a nurse. I'm the one with Clorox wipes and hand sanitizer in my bag at all times. :p I'm sure my DH will make sure I've got a few drinks on board to quell my issues! I'm really looking forward to seeing this ship with all the talk of her.

Thanks again. I usually don't hit the panic button :eek: but with my hairdresser getting off her 10th cruise this weekend and me with only 1 under my belt, I was trapped (while getting my hair done) and vulnerable. I will have fun no matter what!!:)

Thanks ladies! I'm 46, but I still feel 30. I could have fun at an insurance seminar, but my hairdresser who has logged many cruises got me worried about being on a ship with a bunch of kids :D

When I was in nursing school, a group of about 10 stressed out nursing students took a 3 day Bahamas trip because it was all we could afford. I don't think we were sober much of that trip!

Thanks. I figured shorter cruises would attract more college aged kids. I'm leaving out of Miami, 7 day cruise to Western Caribbean. Not that I'm a curmudgeon, but I would much rather float around with a varied group of people. Our first cruise was at Christmas on a Princess ship.